TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – The sign outside the Tallahassee Animal Service Center hints at just how crowded the kennels inside really are. Sometimes “More than 100 dogs available for adoption” flashes on the sign. Sometimes it rises to “more than 130.”
The recent seizure of more than 100 animals from a local rescue only adds to the strain.
Shelters in the Big Bend and South Georgia are struggling to keep up with all the dogs and cats coming through the front door. In Tallahassee, that’s nearly 1,400 already this year.
Chicken was one of them. The 2-year-old spent six long weeks at the shelter before the Phillips family spotted him. Now, he spends his days sprawled out on the hardwood floor at his new home.
Connor Phillips said it was the look in Chicken’s eyes that got his attention.
The family asked to meet just one pup despite kennels full of wagging tails and hopeful faces.
Brandon Phillips said once Chicken walked into the meet and greet room, the decision to adopt him was almost instantaneous.
“Seconds. Yeah, seconds. He was like a different dog getting him out,” Brandon said.
It didn’t take long for Chicken to hop in the car and squeeze in next to Amelia and Connor for the ride home.
“We’ve always looked for shelter dogs. I always sent my husband pictures and said these dogs don’t have a home and it breaks my heart to know that there are dogs that need someone,” said Lacy Phillips as Chicken sat by her side in the backyard.
Chicken is one of more than 600 pets adopted from the Tallahassee Animal Service Center so far this year.
There have already been 1,394 brought there in 2024, according to the stats posted on the shelter’s website. More than 800 of them are strays and nearly 375 of them were surrendered by their owners.
“2024 is definitely shaping up to be a different year than years past,” said Tallahassee Animal Services Director Ericka Leckington.
The kennels are beyond full. The shelter posted a map on its Facebook page recently, showing all of its 110 dog kennels are full and the darker colored squares indicate two, or even three dogs sharing the same one.
“We took in more than 4,500 animals last year. So far this year, we’re projected to take in even more than that,” Leckington said.
The shelter director said that in addition to the steady stream of strays, more people are giving up their pets, often due to financial challenges and housing dilemmas. Big dogs are especially at risk, Leckington said.
“When people have to downsize, when they have to make tough decisions, when they wind up with housing issues, one of the first things that they have to make a decision on is unfortunately is the pets in the home,” Leckington said. “Cats are a little easier to move into a different situation and dogs can be a lot more responsibility. So oftentimes, that’s why we’re receiving so many dogs.”
Some call it a perfect storm. And that storm has only intensified this spring after more than 100 dogs were brought into the shelter from a local animal rescue amid allegations of filthy kennels and a lack of adequate food, water and shelter.
The crowded kennels and struggle to get animals adopted is a big concern for Danielle Seliga, a volunteer at the Tallahassee Animal Service Center. She especially worries about dogs like Primrose, a 6-year-old who has been at the shelter or in foster care for more than a year now.
“She’s pretty much the dream package here,” Seliga said. “It makes me sad that no one in the community has stepped up for her yet.”
She said she can’t fathom how dogs like Primrose — ones that are house-trained and family-friendly — haven’t been adopted yet.
The shelter’s latest stats for 2024 show 78% of animals leave the shelter, alive and well. Another 43% are adopted. Others are reclaimed by their owners or transferred to other shelters and rescue groups. And 18% are euthanized because of their health, behavior or a lack of space.
It’s a problem that Tallahassee Animal Shelter Foundation board member Kate MacFall says extends far beyond the Capital City.
“Shelters are full in Florida and all across the country, not just here in Tallahassee,” MacFall said.
MacFall visits a lot of shelters. She’s the Florida State Director for the Humane Society of the United States.
MacFall is always looking for creative ways to not only get people into the shelters but also to get dogs out into the community to boost their chances of getting adopted.
Her foster dog Twilight interrupted our interview repeatedly with contented snores from the couch.
“Don’t buy when your shelters are bursting at the seams,” MacFall said. “If half the people who got their puppies from breeders adopted from their local animal shelter, we’d be in a much better place today.”
BJ and Robert Sprecher lost their dog about a year ago. When they were ready to get another dog, they headed straight to the shelter.
It didn’t take long to find their perfect match.
“It was her eyes,” BJ said.
“She made eye contact with us right away,” Robert said.
“You love living with us, don’t you?” BJ said as he kissed Snooki on the head.
Snooki was adopted in February with a name that spoke to their Jersey Shore roots. They call her the new love of their life.
This summer, WCTV is going to be taking a closer look at the struggles — and successes — of animal shelters across the Big Bend and South Georgia with the Dog Days of Summer series. It will also share some of the ways shelter staff and motivated community members go above and beyond to try to find homes for the dogs and cats that come through the door.
Madison Glaser, Chasity Maynard and Julie Montanaro will be sharing stories on Eyewitness News at 6 throughout the summer.
This series will also highlight ways to help animals in need.
Here are some suggestions gathered from the animal lovers and advocates WCTV has interviewed for this series:
- Spay and neuter your pets to help control the population.
- Microchip your pets so you can be reunited with them if they get lost.
- Consider adopting your next pet from the shelter or a local humane society or rescue, instead of buying from a pet store or breeder.
- If you do adopt a pet, commit to training them and giving them time to adjust to their new home.
- Apply to become a foster parent for pets awaiting adoption.
- Consider volunteering at a local shelter.
- Share social media posts of pets in need of homes.
The Tallahassee Animal Service Center is open daily and kennels are open on Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday afternoons from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and other days by appointment. Click here to see the animals available for adoption.
Dogs can be adopted for $30 and cats can be adopted for $20. That includes spay/neuter surgery, microchips, vaccinations and more.
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